When I went to The Flood, I was expecting breakthrough, but little did I know what it would entail.
The Flood was a week long event preceding the Send missions movement, held in Kansas City, Missouri. During The Flood and The Send, there were lots of worship times, speakers such as Francis Chan and Lou Engle, as well as outreaches each afternoon of The Flood. Before going to the Flood, I was not completely sure what to expect. I knew it was going to be incredible, but what would that look like?
The Flood sessions were held in a tent, morning and night. The power and presence of God rested there, tangible in a way I had not quite experienced before.
A theme I noticed throughout the week was this: that we couldn't simply live off of the “hype” from The Flood and The Send. In order to follow through with what the Lord was doing in our hearts, and to fulfill His purposes for our lives, we would need to hold onto what He spoke to each one of us personally.
We could not let ourselves forget His promises once we left Kansas City. If there is going to be revival, it will have to include discipling every nation, not just our own. We need to carry the revival with us wherever we go.
An emphasis was put, not only on going out, but also on bringing revival to our own cities. After all, when God said, "go and make disciples of ALL nations," He was not excluding our own.
The Send was a 12-hour event held in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. The heart of The Send was “a war against inaction.” It was filled with worship, teachings, and commissioning to take the Gospel to the nations. It was a fruitful day! The event was held in the Kansas City Chief's Arrowhead Stadium, and that alone was a big deal! I believe the Lord blessed us for enduring when it was not as pleasant, since we were all tired, overheated, and a little overwhelmed by it all.
I can get caught up in the feelings and emotions that weigh heavily on me, but one thing that continually ran through my mind was how great a privilege it was to worship at the top of our lungs alongside thousands of other believers! This alone was mind-blowing, especially taking into consideration that in other places around the world, you can't even say the name of Jesus without harsh consequences.
Prior to the events of this week, I asked God to remind me of my ability to hear from Him, even when it seems wild. Near the end of the Send event, there was a time of prayer for healing. We were all crying out to the Lord for His touch. We were worshiping and others were praying when I heard God say out of nowhere, “Abby”. I asked Him what that meant, and I sensed His reply, “Go pray healing over Abby, NOW.”
It was clear and straight to the point, yet nerve-wracking. I knew He was talking about my friend Abby, who also works alongside me at YWAM, Tyler TX. I went to find her in the crowd, and I knew she'd had been having lung and breathing problems for about five months after struggling with pneumonia. When I found her, another person was already praying over her. I laid my hands on her, and joined in the cry of her heart. After about a minute, her lungs were healed! She could feel the presence of God and felt her lungs open up! We jumped and rejoiced and thanked God.
God has a way of showing us things in the process of bringing breakthrough to others. This made me think, "What if I had not responded to the cry of God? What if I had stood stagnant, as I so often had in the past?" Yes, I believe Jesus would have healed her no matter what, but He allowed me to receive the gift of being a part of it.
Are we willing to step out in obedience? Are we willing to war against inaction? Are we willing to go?
Are YOU feeling called to missions? Reach out to us so that we can share with you how you can join us in fulfilling the Great Commission, and reaching others with the Gospel, by taking part in our Discipleship Training Schools!
For more information on the movement of The SEND and future events, visit: thesend.org